New airgun law forces gun cabinet upgrade

mallettn

Well-Known Member
I have just become aware (thanks to James Marchington's Sporting Shooter blog) of that new airgun law comes into force on 10 February. In essence one will be liable for a fine of up to £1000 if you don't lock up your airgun so it cannot be available to kids (means under-18s).

Details are on the home office website http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/media-centre/press-releases/lock-and-key . Difficult to believe this new legislation appeared on their site on 27th Jan and the law comes into effect 10th Feb :doh:. BASC are supporting the move it appears: http://www.basc.org.uk/en/media/pressreleases.cfm/prid/AB98850A-190D-4275-A85D9C42CCD1DAE7

James Marchington gives some pointed observations on this: http://www.sportingshooter.co.uk/ click on his blog.

I think the concern for us FAC holders with airguns and under 18's (or visiting chidren) is do we have room for all our collection of airguns in the gun cabinet? I think an FEO would now take a dim view of airguns in their slips outside the gun cabinet even if the pellets are locked away (my current situation). Hence I have just ordered a significantly larger cabinet and will be selling a 3 gun cabinet as soon as the new one arrives (any interest?). Hope I can squeeze the air pistols in too!

Thought I would bring this up in this forum as no-one I've talked to has been aware of this.

Neal
 
Neal

It's in Shooting Times this week as well. Hadn't heard about it before though so well done for bringing the subject up.

willie_gunn
 
Perhaps it's just me, but I fail to see how taking reasonable precautions to prevent ones airguns from being used without authority by persons under the age of 18 need involve Brattonsound's excellent products.

A 'locked cupboard' is mentioned on the website, but I suspect that a locked anything (room, gun case) would probably do.

I think the duty in law on the owner is to prevent access by unauthorised children, not by larcenous adults.
 
From the bottom of the Home Office page
Notes to editors

1. In 2009/10 there were 1,317 incidents where an air weapon was obtained without permission. There was one death and 67 serious injuries caused by air weapons.

According to the ONS, in 2009, 11 people died of accidental suffocation in bed. so it looks like there is a greater threat to people's health by sleeping in bed than having an air rifle in the house.:(

the same number of people died from lightning as they did from air rifles!


http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/data...ty-statistics-causes-death-england-wales-2009


and it will only be the law abide people like ourselves that bother to secure them anyway, looks like another pointless law and it will be interesting to see how many people are injured and killed in the coming years.
 
Dalua,

The BASC guidelines say:

‘Reasonable precautions’ will depend on the particular circumstances in each
individual case. They could be a locked cupboard or a lock or locking device by
which an air weapon can be attached to the fabric of a building, or to a fixed
feature, or a security cord, lockable chain or similar device capable of passing
through a point of anchorage within the building. Where children are very young, it
might be sufficient simply to store any air weapons up high and out of their reach.
Trigger guard locks do not satisfy the requirements, as they do not prevent the
young person from having the air gun with them even though it cannot be fired.
The provisions of section 58(2) of the 1968 Act mean that the new offence does not
apply to an antique air weapon held as a ‘curiosity or ornament’.


So I agree a robust locked cupboard would meet the requirement, but how many people have a spare robust, lockable cupboard - I guess I could invade my wife's wardrobe but she might be upset, especially when she can't find the keys!

Neal
 
Sigh.................... just more B&BS.

Funnily enough I only took the Feinwerkbau Sport 127 out of the cabinet yesterday. It needs a wipe down to the metal and there has beena rats seen out back hence it's needed out not locked away as by the time one has got it out of the cabinet the rat is in the next field.
 
more rescriction on us lawful and legal shooters,if they only recricted the ones breaking the law, the country would be 99 per cent free of crime, the 1 per cent of crime left would be dew to the mp/s and the bankers.
 
Looks like I'm going to "borrow" some space in the airing cupboard and put a lock on it, Mrs won't be very happy, my Air Arms plus NVRS won't fit in the gun cabinet and I'm blowed if I'm going to buy an extra,extra deep cabinet just to store the air rifle....callie
 
I have to agree with a lot of points made:
1. It seems unlikely to have much practical safety effect (as Mel points out) but I guess BASC felt it was politically expedient to positively support this change?
2. Like Brithunter a practical problem is that ones airgun is likely to be less accessible for dealing with the squirrel raiding the bird-feeder (especially with the pellets locked away seperately)
3. Deako is right to think that Brattonsound will do well as for many (like me) the locked cupboard solution isn't really the answer. And there are a lot of airgun only shooters who may feel pressure to go down this route.
Neal
 
so if i simply put a lock on the spare bedroom that will cover it ? , I hope so i dont totally agree with yet more rules as i do have trigger locks on them and no kids so imo responsible enough , but another cabinet i dont have room for no , so more money to pay out either for another cabinet or a cheap airgun as there will be a massive increase in both .
 
Bongo,
If you don't have under 18 kids living in the house or likely to visit you don't have to do anything.
Else a lock on the bedroom door would appear to meet the requirement - as long as you hid the key somewhere that the "the kids" were not privy too.

1shot1kill
Don't know for sure as I know airgun law was due to be devolved to the Scottish parliament - maybe someone else can clarify this.

Neal
 
I always found the .308 better for the squirrels, only problem being finding it amongst the magazine collection!!!! Would use the .243 but they hear the gravel crunching as you retrieve it from the car.
 
Looks like I'm going to "borrow" some space in the airing cupboard and put a lock on it, Mrs won't be very happy, my Air Arms plus NVRS won't fit in the gun cabinet and I'm blowed if I'm going to buy an extra,extra deep cabinet just to store the air rifle....callie


In the you know where khazi?

:D
 
Have been in formed that a trigger lock is sufficient and that pellets and mag's be locked away, sounds sensible to me, can't lock mine in the khazi alan, atmosphere is too damp from the shower !!!.....callie
 
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